Tube-cleaner for fuel-economizers or feed-water heaters



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. H. HOLT.

TUBE CLEANER FOR FUEL EOONOMIZERS 0B. FEED WATER HEATERS.

No. 328,220. Patented Oct. 13. 1885.

QMW 9mm 3% (No Model.) s Sheets-Sheet 2. G.-H. HOLT. TUBE CLEANER FORFUEL EGONOMIZERS 0R FEED WATER HEATERS. No. 328,220.v V Patented Oct.13, 1885.

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(No Model.) 7 a Sheets-Sheet s.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. HOLT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

TUBE-CLEANER FOR FUEL-ECONOMIZERS 0R FEED-WATER HEATERS.

QTPECEFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 328,220, dated October13, 1885.

Application filed November 24, 1884. Serial No. 148,662. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OHARLEs H. HOLT, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain and Ireland, and residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain Improvements in Tube-Cleaners for Fuel-Economizers orFeedlVater Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of feedwater heaters orfueleconomizersin which the feedwater, before being allowed to enter theboiler, is caused to pass through a system of pipes located in thedischarge-flue of the furnace, the collection of soot upon the pipesbeing prevented by means of reciproeated scrapers.

My improvements relate to the construction of the scrapers and tomechanism employed for reciprocating said scrapers, these improvementsbeing too fully described and claimed hereinafter to need preliminaryexplanation.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a side View of myimproved tubecleaner for fuel-economizers or feed-water heaters,part ofthe walls of the discharge-flue of the furnace being shown in section;Fig. 2, an end View looking in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, withthe side walls in section; Fig. 3, Sheet 2, a plan view; Fig. 4:, Sheet3, a plan View of one of the scraper-frames, with two of the scrapers inposition thereon, and also on an enlarged scale; Fig. 5, a side View ofthe frame without the scrapers; Figs. 6 and 7, views of the scraper on astill larger scale, and Fig. 8 a perspective View of one of thescrapercarriers.

The pipe structure of the heater is not shown in detail, as I propose tomake it the subject of a separate application for a patent; hence itwill be only necessary to say here that it consists of a number of boxesor sections, A, supported by the side walls, a, of the fluechamber, andhaving rows of pendent tubes B, these boxes and tubes being, preferably,so partitioned and the boxes so connected as to cause a circulation ofwater from one end of the heater to the other.

To prevent the accumulation of soot upon the tubes of the heater, I usea scraper, as usual, the construction of this scraper being illustratedin Figs. 1 and 2, and Figs. 4 to 8.

Between adjacent rows of tubes is a transverse bar, G, having oppositerecesses for the reception of the tubes, and on this bar are supported aseries of segmental plates, H, one for each tube, each plate having abeveled inner edge, f, on which rest conical lugs g on the scrapers,each of thelatter consisting of two segmental ribs, h, connected by avertical bar, t. As the bars G are raised,the scraping-ribs h are, owingto the conical bearings of the lugs 9, caused to press firmly upon thetube and scrape from the same any soot which may have accumulatedthereon, the ribs sliding freely on the tube when the bar G is permittedto descend.

Under ordinary circumstances the segmental plate H is prevented fromturning on the bar by the engagement of a lug, m, on said plate withpins 11. on the bar; but by elevating the plate until its lug m is freefrom the control of the pins a said plate can be turned so as to permitits withdrawal from the bar, the open ing at the front of the platebeing large enough to permit said plate to be drawn past the tube D.This opening is also large enough to permit the withdrawal of either ofthe scrapers from the plate, so that ample provision is afforded forremoving or replacing any portion of the apparatus which has becomedefective.

The scrapers are divided into two sets, the bars G of one set beingsupported upon oppo site bars,J and the bars G of the other set uponsimilar bars,K, the action of one set of scrapers alternating with thatof the other set-that is to say, as the bars J are raised the bars K arepermitted to descend, and vice versa.

The raising of the bars J and K is effected by mechanism on the top ofthe heater, this mechanism being shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

To bearings 12, suit-ably located on the boxes A, is adapted a shaft,M,carrying four drums, N N P P, and a disk, S, the latter havingprojecting pins k, forming a rack into which gears a pinion, s, on ashaft, T, a worm-wheel, t, at the end of which gears intoa worm, 12, ona shaft, V, which has a pulley, o, for receiving a driving-belt from anysuitable counter-shaft.

The bars J are suspended from the drumsN by chains \V, passing overpulleys w, hung to bearings on the top of the heater, the chains of onebar passing over the drums and the chains of the other bar under thesame, so that as the drums are rotated in one direction both chains willbe wound up and both bars J elevated, and as the drums are rotated inthe reverse direction both chains will be unwound and both bars Jpermitted to descend.

A similar arrangement of chains W is used in connection with the bars Kand drums P,- the winding of the chains on the drums P,however, beingthe reverse of that of the chainsW upon the drums N, so that the desiredalternating movement of the bars J and Kwill be effected.

The pins k of the disk S are discontinued at one point, q, so that therack formed by the said pins constitutes, in connection with the pinions, the well-known mangle-wheel, the pinion gearing alternately with theinside and the outside of the rack, so as to partially rotate the diskS, first in one direction and then in the opposite direction, the innerend of the shaft being free to move laterally and the bearing at theouter end of the same being so pivoted that the pinion can pass freelythrough the opening q in shifting from the inside to the outside of therack, so that the desired reverse vibration of the drums N and P iseffected from the uniformly-rotating shaft V.

By supporting the transverse scraper-bars G upon the longitudinallifting-bars, and connecting the lifting-chains W to the latter neareach end, a direct vertical lift of each of the bars J and K and of thescraper-bars is insured, thus overcoming the tendency to tilt and becomejammed, which is an objection to lifting-bars connected in the center tothe lifting-chains.

It will be observed on reference to Fig. 3 that the tubes B arestaggered-that is to say,

, the tubes of one row are in line with the spaces between the tubes ofthe adjoining rows, so that the products of combustion are compelled totake a circuitous course, and are brought in contact with the entiresurface of each tube; moreover, this arrangement permits the employmentof a great number of tubes in small space, as the tubes are arranged asclosely together as is consistent with the proper pas-- sage of theproducts of combustion through the flue-chamber.

I do not claim in this application the mode of constructing andconnecting the sections of the pipe structure so as to cause circulationof water through the same from one end to the other, but propose to makethis'the subject of a separate application for patent.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of a series of heatingtubes,scrapers adapted thereto, transverse bars carrying said scrapers,longitudinal bars supporting the scraper bars, suspendingchainsconnected to the supporting-bars near each end, and winding-drums forsaid chains, as set forth.

2. The combination of the scraper-bars, the supporting-bars and theirchains, the shaftM and its drums, the mangle-Wheel S, and the sh aft T,having a pinion, 8, whereby movement of partial rotation in oppositedirections is imparted to the said shaft M, as set forth.

3. v The combination of the "heating -tubes, the scraper bars, thesupporting bars, the

shaft M and its drums, and chains W, con-' nected to the oppositesupportingbars, the chains of one bar passing over the drums, and thechains of the other bar passing under said drums, as set forth.

4. The combination of the heating-tubes, the scraper-bars, the shaft Mand its drums, two pairs of supporting-bars, J K, and suspending'chainsW, those of one pair of bars having a drum-connection the reverse ofthat of the chains of the other pair, whereby as one pair of barsdescends the other pair rises, as set forth.

5. The combination of the heating tubes, arranged in transverse rows andstaggered, as described, with the bars G, extending transversely betweenadjoining rows and carrying scrapers adapted to the tubes of each row,as set forth.

6. The combination of the heating-tubes, arranged in transverse rows,the transverse bars G, having in their opposite edges recesses for thereception of the adjoining rows of tubes, and scrapers carried by saidbars, as set forth.

7. The combination of the rows of tubes, the recessed bar G, thesegmental plates H, and the scrapers carried by said plates, as setforth.

'8'. The combination of the rows of tubes, the recessed bar G, havingpins 12, the segmental plates H, having lugs m, and the scrapers carriedby said plates, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two' subscribing witnesses.

CHAS. H. HOLT.

Witnesses:

JOHN M. CLAYTON, HARRY SMITH.

